Aymeric De Tapol & Joachim Montessuis / RIPIT – Split

Noise and Power Electronics are music styles few understand, and even fewer really know how to perform. One might think of ominous dark men in balaclavas shouting in front of a screen showing disturbing video-material, or perhaps some pseudo-militaristic approach to this genre, but fortunately there is so much more to this culture and style than that.

The opening track of this release by Aymeric De Tapol & Joachim Montessuis reminds me of the more modern Noise, such as the recordings of Henrik Nordvargr Björkk, in it’s synthetic and Electronic nature. The sound is extremely sharp yet warm at the same time, like lying in a heated ocean of sharp nails. As the high-pitched screaming distorted vocals enter the scene, I am getting strong nods to Black Metal (because of my background in the style in question), but then again this might not be that uncommon in all kinds of Power Electronics and Noise these days. All in all a very atmospheric and strong track, paving way for the following tracks in it’s intro-like qualities.

The following four tracks by RIPIT are quite different in composition and executions. Although being extremely Noisy (having the same audial aesthetic nature as the first song), they remind me more of Glitchy stuff like Autechre. Lots of bleeps, clicks and thuds, small intense storms of beat-like yet chaotic thumps and basses make up most of the material on these four songs, surrounded by (again) warm and sharp winds and floods of noises. The vocals on the last two tracks are screaming and intense just like the ones on the first track, while having more variation to them.

The overall soundscapes on this release is of high quality, giving multiple mental orgasms to the audiophile most interested in extreme Electronic audio. However, the short length of this release is at the same time cool in the sense the songs are very powerful and strong, giving you satisfaction fast, but at the same time I am left wanting more, since I’d like to make love with these tunes and music like this for a much longer period of time. Then again, considering the nature of split-releases (in the form of 7-inches such as this and so forth), the length is pretty standard and solid. The feeling of the cover-art fits the chaotic yet sophisticated and thoughtfully occult nature of the music perfectly.

If you want to know more about those things called Noise and Power Electronics, or if you are a fan of more modern Noise already (perhaps not the old-school stuff like NON), and Glitchy Electronic stuff (such as the aforementioned Autechre or music styles like Breakcore), you should definitely obtain this release.